Twas in eighteen hundred and fifty-three
And of June the thirteenth day
That our gallant ship her anchor weighed
And for greenland bore away brave boys
And for greenland bore away
The lookout in the crosstrees stood
With spyglass in his hand
There`s a whale there`s a whale
there`s whalefish he cried
And she blows at every span brave boys
She blows at every span
The captain stood on the quarter deck
And a fine little man was he
Overhaul overhaul Let your davit tackles fall
And launch your boats for sea brave boys
And launch your boats for sea
Now the boats were launched and the men aboard
And the whale was full in view
Resolv-ed was each seaman bold
To steer where the whalefish blew brave boys
To steer where the whalefish blew
We stuck the whale the line paid out
But she gave a flourish with her tail
The boat capsized and four men were drowned
And we never caught that whale brave boys
And we never caught that whale
To lose the whale our captain said
It grieves my heart full sore
But oh to lose those four gallant men
It grieves me ten times more brave boys
It grieves me ten times more
The winter star doth now appear
So boys we`ll anchor weight
It`s time to leave this cold country
And homeward bear away brave boys
And homeward bear away
Oh Greenland is a dreadful place
A land that`s never green
Where there`s ice and snow
and the whalefishes blow
and the daylight`s seldom seen brave boys
But the daylight`s seldom seen
Now as the dawn is breaking
my heart is breaking too
As I walk out on this may morn
my thoughts will be of you
So write these words upon the wall
so everyone will know
I loved so much that I could
see his blood upon the rose